New York Times has a story on Colombian wax palms

[Dave-Vero]

Pay wall of course.  NYT.   The story features botanists Rodrigo Bernal and María José Sanín and the Tochecito area, which is now attracting plenty of young tourists, mostly European.  Where's the Americans?

[kinzyjr]

@Dave-Vero Thanks for sharing!

[Meangreen94z]

I had been told these are only moderately hardy(25ish*F), but they mention populations at 10,000 feet in the Andes. Maybe there are different variants with variable hardiness based on location, similar to Nannorhops Ritcheana? I think I will ignore prior advice and try a couple of them.

[Fusca]

  On 11/5/2019 at 1:57 PM, Meangreen94z said:

I had been told these are only moderately hardy(25ish*F), but they mention populations at 10,000 feet in the Andes. Maybe there are different variants with variable hardiness based on location, similar to Nannorhops Ritcheana? I think I will ignore prior advice and try a couple of them.

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Problem for us isn't so much the cold but rather the heat and lack of a sufficient nighttime cool down in summer.  Same goes for Parajubaea.

[Palmaceae]

Thanks for sharing, very cool pictures of a beautiful palm species!

[HtownPalms]

Good article. Hopefully they can get the remaining public support needed to ensure the Wax Palm forests remain healthy. It crazy to think that for a while botanists never knew that this forest existed because of guerrilla militants!

[Tyrone]

Very cool article. 

I noticed how dark the forest floor is in this forest. No wonder Ceroxylon seedlings hate direct sunlight until maybe a metre tall or more. I've learnt a bit from this article. Thanks for posting.

[Meangreen94z]

That’s what I’m thinking. Probably grow these under my awning w/plant light or an oak tree until they get sizeable. 

[SilverDragon]

Such bitter irony that on one hand, vast portions of rainforest are being destroyed to make way for palms, while on the other hand, many  like this face endangerment.

[Meangreen94z]

Or that Guerilla’s involved in drug trade prevented their likely  destruction/exploitation.

[jimmyt]

Interesting article for sure.   We would hate to lose the wax palm.  I hope they can find a balance between the needs of the local people and reestablishment of the wax palm.  Good post Dave-Vero.

[UK_Palms]

Anyone know what the hardiness limit is of Ceroxylon Quindiuense, both mature and when in the seedling stage?

I have heard one source saying they can take 15F and another source saying 25F. 

[Darold Petty]

25 F is much more likely,  no way for 15 F.

[Meangreen94z]

I would think atleast 20*F. 10,000 feet elevation in the Andes has to have seen freak low temperatures, even in a mild climate.

[Xenon]

  On 11/7/2019 at 2:19 AM, Meangreen94z said:

I would think atleast 20*F. 10,000 feet elevation in the Andes has to have seen freak low temperatures, even in a mild climate.

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Quito (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quito#Climate) is at over 9000 feet and doesn't get anywhere near that cold. On the opposite end of the temp scale - no way those high elevation species will survive a Houston summer. 

[Jim in Los Altos]

  On 11/6/2019 at 5:09 PM, Meangreen94z said:

That’s what I’m thinking. Probably grow these under my awning w/plant light or an oak tree until they get sizeable. 

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They come from an eternally cool and often foggy climate and detest long term heat. Mine’s doing well here in the SF Bay Area but not nearly as well as they do in cool climate San Francisco. Mine’s 15 years old and still trunkless but leafy and deep green. You can give it a try but it might be like us Northern Californians trying to grow coconuts. Not a good proposition. Here’s a picture of my Ceroxylon Alpinum which is about ten years old and six feet in height. I don’t have a good shot of my C. quindiuense at the moment.